WWI The First Modern War: The Germans Engage In Unrestricted Submarine Warfare | History
Summary
TLDRIn 1915, Germany declared an exclusion zone for unrestricted submarine warfare, aiming to sever Britain's vital supply lines by attacking all enemy ships without warning. This tactic was effective but risky, as it led to civilian ships being targeted. By April, German U-boats had sunk 39 merchant ships, causing a humanitarian crisis and drawing the United States closer to entering the war.
Takeaways
- 🚩 Germany declared an exclusion zone for unrestricted submarine warfare, aiming to sever British commerce and war supplies.
- 🛳️ The strategy targeted both military and civilian ships without warning, to cut off Britain's vital imports.
- 🇬🇧 Britain relied heavily on shipping lanes, particularly from the US and South America, for survival during the war.
- 🔄 Initially, Germany followed international naval rules, allowing civilian ships to surrender before being sunk.
- 🔍 The British quickly adapted by arming merchant ships to counter the surfaced submarines, creating a dangerous dynamic.
- 🚫 Submarines faced logistical issues, unable to accommodate all crew and passengers, leading to inhumane tactics.
- 🎯 The new rules of engagement led to rapid results, with 39 merchant ships sunk by German U-boats by April 1915.
- 🔫 Both torpedoes and deck guns were utilized by German submarines in their unrestricted warfare campaign.
- ⚔️ The 'shoot on sight' policy inadvertently put American ships and citizens at risk, complicating German strategy.
- 🌐 Unrestricted submarine warfare posed a dilemma for Germany as it risked sinking ships of neutral nations, escalating tensions.
Q & A
What was Germany's strategy during unrestricted submarine warfare?
-Germany's strategy was to attack all enemy ships, both military and civilian, without warning to cut off all British commerce and vital war supplies.
Why was cutting off British commerce and supplies considered crucial by Germany?
-Cutting off British commerce and supplies was crucial because it would force Britain to starve and potentially leave the war, as Britain relied heavily on imports for survival.
How did Britain respond to Germany's submarine warfare tactics?
-Britain responded by arming their merchant ships so that when a German submarine surfaced, the merchant ship could engage in combat.
What were the issues with the International Rules of Engagement for naval vessels before unrestricted submarine warfare?
-The issues included the vulnerability of submarines when surfaced and the impracticality of evacuating passengers and crew to safety, as there was not enough space on the submarine.
What was the consequence of unrestricted submarine warfare for German submarines?
-Unrestricted submarine warfare allowed German submarines to attack without following the International Rules of Engagement, leading to faster results but also putting American ships and civilians at risk.
How did Germany's new tactic affect the number of ships sunk?
-By the end of April 1915, German U-boats sank 39 merchant ships using both torpedoes and deck guns, indicating the effectiveness of the new tactic.
What was the main problem with unrestricted submarine warfare from a German perspective?
-The main problem was that it was difficult to distinguish the nationality of the ships being sunk, which could lead to the sinking of neutral or friendly vessels.
Why was it considered inhumane to use submarines in the traditional way during the war?
-It was considered inhumane because submarines had to surface to give civilians a chance to surrender and abandon ship, which made them vulnerable, and there was not enough space to accommodate all passengers and crew.
What was the impact of unrestricted submarine warfare on American ships and civilians?
-Unrestricted submarine warfare put American ships and civilians in the crossfire, as they could be attacked without warning, leading to potential loss of life and property.
How did the new rules of engagement for German submarines differ from the previous ones?
-The new rules allowed German submarines to attack immediately upon sighting enemy ships, without the requirement to surface and give warning, thus making the attacks more efficient but also more dangerous for non-combatants.
Outlines
🚢 German Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany declared an exclusion zone for unrestricted submarine warfare, aiming to sever British commerce and war supplies by attacking all enemy ships without warning. This strategy targeted the shipping lanes from the United States and South America, which were vital for Britain's survival. Initially, Germany followed international naval rules, allowing civilian ships to surrender before being sunk. However, this approach was problematic due to the vulnerability of surfaced submarines and the quick British adaptation of arming merchant ships. The new tactic of shooting on sight led to the sinking of 39 merchant ships by April 1915, but it also risked involving American ships and civilians in the conflict, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Exclusion Zone
💡Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
💡British Commerce
💡Rules of Engagement
💡Merchant Ships
💡Submarine
💡Torpedoes
💡Deck Guns
💡Crossfire
💡Neutral Nations
💡Starve
Highlights
Germany announces an exclusion zone for unrestricted submarine warfare.
The campaign aims to attack all enemy ships, military and civilian, without warning.
The goal is to cut off all British commerce and vital war supplies.
Britain relies on ships, largely from the United States and South America, for survival.
German submarines could force Britain to leave the war by cutting off external supplies.
Previously, Germany followed International Rules of Engagement for naval vessels.
Submarines were vulnerable when surfaced, leading to armed merchant ships targeting them.
Submarines couldn't capture ships and safely transport passengers and crew.
Unrestricted submarine warfare led to the sinking of 39 merchant ships by April 1915.
The new tactic of shooting on sight involved the use of torpedoes and deck guns.
American ships and civilians were caught in the crossfire of unrestricted submarine warfare.
The problem for Germany was the inability to identify the nationality of ships being sunk.
Unrestricted submarine warfare was inhumane and fast but had significant consequences.
The strategy put immense pressure on Britain's supply lines, potentially leading to starvation.
The change in submarine warfare tactics marked a significant shift in naval strategy.
The impact of unrestricted submarine warfare on international relations and diplomacy.
The challenges faced by submarines in adhering to international laws while engaging enemy ships.
The tactical and strategic advantages of unrestricted submarine warfare for Germany.
The humanitarian concerns and ethical dilemmas posed by unrestricted submarine warfare.
Transcripts
[Music]
Germany announces an exclusion zone of
unrestricted submarine warfare a
campaign to attack all enemy ships
military and civilian without
warning its goal to cut off all British
Commerce and vital War
[Music]
supplies a lot of the things that
Britain needs to survive it has to bring
bring in and it brings it in by ships
largely from the United States from
South America along well traveled and
long established shipping lanes Britain
doesn't get what it needs from those
ships the British are going to starve
and so the Germans could cut them off
from the outside world with submarines
they could force the British to leave
the
war until now OTS tried to play by
International Rules of Engagement for
all Naval vessels and give civilians
Cruise the chance to surrender and
Abandon Ship before sinking
it well you can see the obvious problems
with that when a submarine surfaced it's
vulnerable and the British very quickly
learned to arm their merchant ships
submarines would surface and the
merchant ship would start shooting at
them it couldn't stop a ship take the
passengers off put them in a place of
safety on board the submarine there just
wasn't space you might capture the C
but there wasn't space for all the crew
and passengers so submarines had to be
used in a very inhumane
way the new rules of engagement get fast
results by the end of April
1915 German ubot sync 39 Merchant ships
using both Torpedoes and their powerful
deck
guns but the new tactic of shoot on site
means American ships and C cens are soon
caught in the
crossfire the problem with unrestricted
submarine warfare for the Germans was
that you couldn't tell necessarily who
you were
sinking
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